Recruiting: Michigan football secures one, loses another 2015 pledge

Dec. 18, 2013

Written by

Tim Sullivan

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Michigan’s 2014 class is very good — ranked in the top 18 nationally despite its low volume — but the 2015 class was off to an even stronger start until Tuesday afternoon. With three commits in the Rivals 100 accounting for half of the six total pledges, the six-man 2015 class was as solid as any coming into the week.

One pledge, however, may be on the way out. Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake wide receiver commitment George Campbell chose to open his recruitment Tuesday evening. The No. 7 player overall in the country — and tops among wide receivers — is a big loss for U-M, as expected with a player of his ranking. However, Campbell’s decommitment does not guarantee he won’t end up in Ann Arbor. While the 2015 five-star player plans to explore his options, Michigan is still firmly on the table to land him a second time.

Things look much rosier for another junior pledge. Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward defensive back Shaun Crawford had considered an Ohio State visit in recent weeks, but seeing Ann Arbor in person Dec. 13-14 reminded the No. 96 player in the nation for the 2015 class why he didn’t need to explore other schools.

“After this weekend, as of now the only time I’ll be in Columbus is for a football banquet I got invited to,” Crawford said.

While Campbell could be considered a big loss, Crawford is a big hold. The 5-9, 165-pounder is one of Ohio’s best products in the 2015 class, and the Wolverines continue to pilfer the Buckeye State’s best recruits. That Ohio State was the program he had considered visiting unofficially makes a head-to-head win against the Buckeyes.

While Ohio State emerged victorious in the 2013 edition of The Game — making it two in a row and nine of the last 10 — U-M is not willing to admit defeat when it comes to future editions. Beating the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail, as they’ve done with Crawford, makes those on-field wins more likely in the future. Holding Campbell in the 2015 class would be an even bigger win.

Tim Sullivan is the football recruiting editor of The Wolverine magazine and thewolverine.com. He is also a contributor to national football recruiting coverage on the rivals.com network. You can follow him on Twitter @tims_wolverine.